Granta's Long Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Granta

Please dot the gameplay thread so that you will get updates for this discussion.

This isn't going to be nearly as difficult as I expected. After the evergreens, we need 29 scenarios, and there are 21 that nobody has played. Here is the proposed schedule:

Tentatively, let's split the tables up this way:

CORE

• Aerondor
  
• Gummy Bear
  
• Shifty

REGULAR

• Chaosorbit
  
• Crunch
  
• Giuseppe
  
• Massee

Please double check your histories and make sure that you are able to play the full schedule in your assigned campaign. If you really want to play the other campaign for some reason, we can try changing the schedule for you. Except Shifty, that bastard has played way too many scenarios in regular and is stuck with core.

We're still waiting to hear from Dhenn and Melda, but Kuey has declined due to bandwidth limitations, so we will have at least one spot to fill.

hate to be 'That guy', But I am currently in a similar campaign running entirely in core now (because people kept selling me on Core)

I'm sort of keen to backfill some of the scenarios I haven't touched yet - so possibly I drop in and out as we go?

What's the schedule for that campaign? I would much rather put in some extra planning now, and avoid complications later.

It's nice to start with the Confirmation.

I'm fine with the schedule, since just as I said to GM Granta in private, I've not played many scenarios in my PFS career yet.

Looks good to me. When do you want characters by? Are we coordinating character creation?

I've just got to check on Tome of Righteous Repose with my other regular group, I kind of think it was on our list of soon to be played, or was that one of those non first level evergreens?

If we are playing into high level with the same characters there should be some level of character coordination so we have at least some basics covered. I really haven't thought up a new character idea yet that moves me...

Looks like Tome is an evergreen so no worries. Its next on our playlist for my Arcanist with GM Hmm.

Yes, I would like to coordinate character creation, and will also ask you to go into greater depth with personality and background. And Tome of Righteous Repose is an evergreen.

Oh, and it'll probably be 2-3 weeks before all of my other games wrap up, so we're in no hurry to start.

Schedule looks good to me.

As to character...I'm pretty flexible. We could try to come up with some collective theme if you all want. I would not want to duplicate these, but here are a couple examples I have seen to generate ideas.

One group I know of made a group of dwarves with the all the shield feats and they all had tower shields..and they were all related and all named Bjorn.

Another group made all half orcs that were Sliver Crusader divine types, they were called the HOHRS...half orc holy rollers.

So we could come up with some like that or just everyone pick what they want. Again I'm very flexible...

And I enjoy the deep background stuff..terrific!

Perhaps a racially homogeneous party would be a little too restricting, at least for me. But we could always consider the idea of having our PCs believe in the same gods, hail from the same region, or being grown up together in the same city or town. We could also go on and describe our training together under the Three Masters of the Grand Lodge, of whatever else comes up to our minds. The idea is definitely intriguing. I'm pretty flexible too, although I already have a few concepts floating in my mind.

Schedule looks good to me. I like the idea of a party that knows each other, but as Giuseppe said, I'd prefer it didn't have to consist of one race. I also decided against playing my protégé in this, there's a golden opportunity to level him to 3 face-to-face in two weeks and I need to torment my buddies with his existence (he's my only jokey character, but he is a wayang fighter riding around in the pouch of his wallaby familiar, based off of Arnold from the Magic School Bus).

I don't have any specific preferences or concepts in mind, but I generally play front-liners with a twist of utility and social skills. There's time to figure this out, Granta, but if you know, are there any things you would prefer we do not pick in terms of race or class?

If Shifty can't do it, I can go to Classic, I have a couple of character ideas that would work better in that campaign. But that would cause problems with
#03-05: Tide of Twilight (1-5)
#00-08: Slave Pits of Absalom (1-5)

A theme would be fun! I'd like to play a bard if possible. I've never played one, but of the core classes, that is the one I'd enjoy most.

Dhenn is officially a no go, and still no word from Melda.

Do we want to recruit 3 more players? Or take up Shifty on his offer to step aside, and combine into one table of six for regular campaign?

Up to you Granta -- I'm fine either way. I'm sure there are other players out there that would be interested, but either way it will be fun.

I think six keen classic players would put less stress on you as a GM. I can always replay the two scenarios for no credit and apply a GM credit to keep the XP level.

But if Shifty is keen on Core I'm more than willing to stay Core.

I'm going to GM both campaigns simultaneously no matter what. If only one ends up being a fixed group of players, that just means the other will go to regular recruitment in Flaxseed. So if it won't change anything for me, it's really about what you guys will enjoy most.

Core campaign playlist I'm in:
0-01 Silent Tide <Qwerty Play>
0-03 Murder on the Silken Caravan <Merisial Play>
0-04 Frozen Fingers of Midnight <Beckett DM, Merisial Play> Beckett could play for no credit here
0-05 Mists of Mwangi <Beckett & Sethran DM, Merisial & Qwerty Play>
0-06 Black Waters <Merisial, & Sethran Play>
0-07 Among the Living < Merisial DM>
0-08 Slave Pits of Absalom < Merisial & Qwerty Play>
0-13 Prince of Augustana < Merisial & Qwerty Play>
0-14 Many Fortunes of Grandmaster Torch <Qwerty Play>
0-23 Tide of Morning <Qwerty DM>
1-21 Among the Dead < Merisial & Sethran Play>
1-35 Voice in the Void <Qwerty Play>
2-11 Pennumbral Accords < Merisial Play>
3-01 First Steps Part 1 <Qwerty DM >
3-07 Echoes of the Overwatched <Merisial DM, Sethran Play>
3-23 The Goblinblood Dead <Merisial Play>
4-15 The Cyphermage Dilemma <Merisial Play>
4-19 The Night March of Kalkamedes <Merisial Play>
5-01 Glass River Rescue <Merisial DM, Qwerty Play>
5-08 The Confirmation <Chapman DM, Beckett Play> Beckett could DM for no credit here
6-01 Trial by Machine <Qwerty Play>
6-05 Slave Ships of Absalom <Turmiol DM>
6-06 Hall of the flesh Eaters <Merisial Play>
6-08 The Seagang Expedition <Turmoil DM, Beckett Play> Beckett could play for no credit here
6-10 The Wounded Wisp <Qwerty Play>
6-12 Scions of Skykey 1 <Sethran DM, Merisial Play>
6-18 From Under Ice <Merisial & Sethran Play>
6-21 Tapestry's Toil <Merisial Play>
7-01 Between the Lines <Merisial DM>
7-12 Twisted Circle <Merisial DM>
7-14 Faithless and Forgotten 1 <Sethran Play>
7-15 Deepmarket Deception <Merisial DM>
7-16 Faithless and Forgotten 2 <Sethran Play>
7-18 Faithless and Forgotten 3 <Sethran Play>
7-22 Bid for Albastrine <Merisial DM>
7-27 Beyond Azlant Ridge <Merisial Play>
7-99 Through Maelstrom Rift Played <Sethran Play>

Thinking characters here.

If Classic, I'm keen to try a mystic Thurge (probably druid-wizard to be a little different). With a campaign up to 17th, it may actually have a chance to get some decent spells. Yes I know they are sub-optimal, but lets face it, many of my characters are sub-optimal.
Other option for Classic is an Paladin I'm tossing up the idea of an oracle dip for Oradin goodness.

In Core I'm not too sure at the moment. Maybe a negative channeling cleric of Pharasma.

I think I'm going to rock a bard in either classic or core. If we lump into a six person group, that would be great for a buffing bard!

I've been thinking about an Abadaran bolt ace gunslinger, but more likely my halfling ninja/paladin concept.

I'm going to condense everybody into a six person table for regular campaign. Please double check the new schedule, and let me know if there are any conflicts.

As to character creation:

• Why did you join the Society?
  
• What is your life like outside of adventuring?
  
• List two prejudices that you have.
  
• Describe a memory that you still regret.
  
• Tell two stories about people you have wronged in the past, but in one of them you thought you were in the right.
  
• I'll probably come up with more questions, but that's it for now.

What classes are folk thinking of?

Gummy- bard
Aerondor - tiefling paladin or 1/2E mystic thurge
Crunch - Abadaran bolt ace gunslinger,or halfling ninja/paladin concept

Others?

As for themes, I like the idea of a common religion or faction.

I honestly don't have a character idea yet, hopefully something comes to me this weekend. I tend to avoid characters with pets and bards.

Still thinking it over...one idea I have is an Eldritch Scion Magus which is something I've been wanting to try for a while. But since I have an obsession with Barkskin, I may consider a Druid or Hunter, but I don't like pets, so that always gets in my way for those 2 classes. I also love a good Paladin, but looks like we may have that covered already.

Agree with Aerondor, a common religion or faction would be fun.

Still thinking about a back story and haven't come up with anything I really like yet. Glad for the time for work on it.

Another possibility is to use the ratfolk boons, if several of you have them.

@Chaosorbit: Do you also not like the domain option for druids? There are even archetypes that open up other domains.

I have played a couple of the games on that schedule. Has the spreadsheet changed? I could have sworn they weren't on there originally. I think I played them with you XD

Halls of Dwarven Lore
The Price of Friendship

I'd be open to using my ratfolk boon, but I'd probably play a rogue then. As far as the bard, he would focus on support/knowledge/social skills if that helps anyone with their creation.

There are options for both ranger and druid that replace the animal companion!

As to theme, religion or faction are good ones. We presumably have one vote for Abadar, any other preferences?

It's totally possible that I screwed up the spreadsheet while manipulating the data to search for scenarios.

Edit: Yep! Looks like Arasmes played Halls of Dwarven Lore with Thuron and Price of Friendship with Baudrian.

I feel like if the entire party is a certain religion, such as Abadar, some things might get a little clunky. The Society often expects us to do somewhat underhanded, potentially illegal things, but I guess that could also be an opportunity for character growth.

If I was to play the halfling, he would venerate Chaldira Zuzaristan, a deity almost exclusively worshipped by halflings. I don't think we'd all want to worship her.

No ratfolk boon here. As for character concepts, I was thinking about an empiricist investigator or a reach cleric.

No ratfolk here either.

Maybe a faction then, I've not particular desire for any given faction. Anyone hwo knows the scenarios better than me got an idea if they would fit one faction better than others?

Ok, so let's scratch a strict affiliation to a deity. Would it be easier to find a common thread if we post some preliminary thoughts for our characters here? The flagbearer feat is something I'd like to invest in if possible, so any sort of unifying cause would be nice, but if it becomes too cumbersome to sort out I'll go without :)

I'm working on the rough draft for my build, would anyone care to look it over when I'm done?

My flagbearer uses one with the rune of the open road. But if we were part of some other order that would work too.

I missed the first pm for this, sorry. I don't want to mess up anything as I am late, but if it goes easily I would like to join. I have played a lot of the regular scenarios but nothing on Core. If this might still split into regular & core, I'd prefer the core one.

@Melda: I will be running the scenarios simultaneously in both campaigns, but only one will be a fixed group of players--and that table is already full. The core scenarios will be open to RSVPs just like any other game, and hopefully you and Shifty will play a lot of them.

Some thoughts so far as what I could end up playing:

Bodyguard-esk Monk
Unchained Master Summoner

We don't seem to have much of a front liner so far so would lean towards the Monk but I'd have to run the build/character idea a bit more through my head to see if it would be somewhat viable.

Summoner just has some spells I haven't had the chance to use yet... who doesn't want to use a whip made of spiders?

Overall thoughts:
Some sort of loose affiliation would be good but all the same religion or race tends to make things go stale, it can hurt player interaction if there isn't much intra party drama. If people wanted to all be from a similar region I'd be up for that.

Also, is this campaign going to focus more on RP and 'characters' or is it going to be more about well built and effective concepts?

How about splitting the party between two religions/factions that have discordant views?

@Massee: Both. I'm treating this like a home game with regards to the RP expectations, but will also be teaching some mechanical/strategy things that you guys may not be aware of.

So home game has higher or lower RP? I've always seen PbP as having the highest RP, at least that's how I've tried to treat it.

I'm sure we'll find and develop plenty of our own things to fight about, I will be sure to find a few things to latch on to RP wise within the group.

If I do play the monk character, and I'm leaning that way at this point, he would be a 'bodyguard' type character, so if there's someone that's playing either a melee weak character, or a high charisma type socialite or something along those lines that wants to be a 'tag team' with me let me know.

**Are there sunglasses in Golarion? You can't have a body guard that doesn't wear sunglasses...

Smoked Goggles?!

Ya... those are not good for everyday use lol.

My character is looking to be melee weak and highly social! I haven't ironed out the RP specifics yet though.

If anyone cares:

Nothing set in stone yet, but I'm currently liking where this is going.

Assuming I go with the paladin (and maybe oracle) I'll be melee/healing with a backup in social (well, diplomacy).

I like the idea of same region, it gives a nice connection and is less of something to quarrel over. I'm still juggling between the two concepts I've described in brief, but it appears as though we have enough melee, social, and healing right now. For the sake of party balance, that would lean me towards the bolt ace.

@Massee: Home game as compared to PFS, not F2F as compared to PbP.

If you wanted to be a ninja/apaldin there is no real we can't have two pallies in the group.

I know, but we seem to have those three areas covered. I'm not preferential to either build, this might be a good thing in that it actually gets me to make a decision. I tend to be notoriously indecisive when it comes to characters sometimes. Still, I'll consider both.

Hey guys, I'm checking in to let you know that fixing my laptop is requiring more time than originally expected. They told me I'll get my laptop back on Monday. As such, I won't be able to post consistently in the next few days.

No worries, Giuseppe. The start time is still at least a week away, probably closer to two weeks.

Here's a 1st crack at a Magus, feel free to give me any feedback.

I'm still mulling over my choice, but does anyone know how Rapid Reload affects a repeating crossbow, if at all?